I've come to the conclusion that the answer is yes. This past week, we had Jorge Cham of Piled Higher and Deeper fame visit UM. Being a former grad student himself, he had incredible insight into what each and every grad student feels, the phases, etc. One of the more poignant observations he made was that every now and then, we still-students get a call from an old high school friend, who has already gotten married, has a child, a house, a BMW... is like a real grown-up, and reminds us that we are in our mid-20s, still in school, and still trying to figure out what we want to be when we GROW UP. Hm...
I got a haircut a few weeks ago and was chatting with my student hairstylist and another student hairstylist working next to her. My hairstylist was telling me that this was her first day back on the job because she had been gone for a month on maternity leave. This was her 2nd child! Then I discovered that the other hairstylist also had a child because they were swapping labor stories. So we talked awhile b/c I'm curious to know how the whole giving birth thing goes, how bad it is, etc. and I began to think that their existence as students was similar to a grad student's existence since many have families. But then I learned that neither of them were married, which is not the shocking detail here, but that they were 20 and 22 years old! The 20 year old had 1 kid, and the 22 year old had 2 kids! The 26 year old has no desire for a kid right now. I know, I know, you're saying that they didn't want the kid, that they just got knocked up, but they were saying how they were really happy to have kids young b/c it's healthier and your body bounces back. And THEN THEY have the nerve to tell me to not worry, that I'm still young! Well, I wasn't worried, and I still have the ability to have no responsibility and learn how to take care of myself and only myself, thank you very much!
So in the end, I'm happy to have been sheltered from the real world... though when I see teenage up to my age celebrity actors earning millions I get kind of depressed...
3 comments:
AHAHA!
"Don't worry, you're still young!" says a 22 year old.
GAH. "Just to be clear, from this point on, WE are done talking" or maybe you should have responded cruelly, "don't worry just because your future as you once hoped it would be is over."
also, the other day, i realized that the Friends were our age (maybe just a couple yrs older) when they started the show. sheesh.
This gives a whole new meaning to being stuck in the ivory tower. And you're actually quite right! When I think about all my friends still in grad school (brother included) they fall under this same pattern.
My personal thoughts are that life just has a natural progression. I call it The Next Big Thing. When one is in grad school their next big thing is getting the hell out of grad school (usually by means of success). When you're working, you're looking for the Next Big Thing. When you've been in a relationship for a while you eventually have to look for the Next Big Thing.
The thing, I imagine, about having kids is that it really accelerates your aging. So while that 22 year old's body may bounce back immediately after the pregnancy, I imagine that when she reaches 26 she'll feel much older.
Nice! Where you get this guestbook? I want the same script.. Awesome content. thankyou.
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